Three years after the Yankees chose him with the 30th selection in the 2007 draft, Andrew Brackman is ready to test his mettle at the upper levels. The massive right-hander will make his Double-A debut Friday when the Thunder face the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Waterfront Park.

Yankees Vice President of Player Development Mark Newman confirmed the move with The Trentonian earlier this evening.

For Brackman, the promotion is a reward for finally turning around a career that last year looked as if it were heading nowhere fast. Shortly after being selected, he had Tommy John surgery that delayed his pro debut until 2009.

After recovering, he put together a dreadful opening campaign. As if his 2-12 record and 5.91 ERA weren’t bad enough, Brackman issued an astonishing 76 walks in 106 2/3 innings with Low-A Charleston.

Yankees pitching coordinator Nardi Contreras discussed Brackman while at Waterfront Park earlier this season, saying that his control was the key thing he needed to work on to advance.

“What he is doing is throwing strikes. He’s learning now, because last year he didn’t throw many strikes. He’s throwing strikes now, and he’s learning how to command. He needs to know how to command,” Contreras said back in May, also noting that Brackman was working on refining his curveball as well as learning a slider and a change-up.

Whatever the coaching staff was teaching him down in Tampa, it seems to have worked.

Brackman has walked just nine hitters in 60 innings this season, and has been dominant after an early-season stretch that looked a lot like 2009. Over eight starts since May 12, he’s allowed more than three earned runs just twice and has compiled a 5-1 record and a 2.84 ERA in that span.

Not a bad move, given his age. Brackman needs to be tested at the next level. It will be interesting to see how this works out.

Because of the foolish deal he signed originally — a major league contract — the Yankees have less time with him than with most prospects. I believe he will become a free agent after 2011. So they can only show so much patience with him.

Because of the foolish deal he signed originally — a major league contract — the Yankees have less time with him than with most prospects. I believe he will become a free agent after 2011. So they can only show so much patience with him.

This is 100% wrong.

Brackman is on the 40 man roster but has yet to accrue even one day of major league service time.

The 4 year major league deal just means he’s burning up options each year. After 2011, they can’t send him down to the minors without passing him through waivers. It’s a way for guys to make sure they are in the major leagues by a certain point.

Conceivably, they could control Brackman through the 4 year deal he signed, and then for 6 years after that.

The 4 year deal part of this is what makes it tough – he basically has 4 options, and he’s burned a few of those with no chance of making the big league club. Ideally, you’d want to be able to call him up to the 25 man and then send him down to AAA if he struggles, just like any other pitcher. But if he can’t break into the majors in 2011, he’ll have to come up in 2012 and stay up no matter what.

Cot’s is wrong. Andrew Brackman does not have 1.016 years of MLB service time. To accrue MLB service time, you need to spend time on the active roster. Andrew Brackman has not spent one day on the active (also known as 25 man) roster.

40 man roster deals are pushed simply to get the player paid as early as possible. Regardless of development, Brackman will be up with the Yankees, on another team, or in AAA because he cleared waivers in 2011. His arbitration clock will most likely start then, and he’ll be getting paid shortly thereafter. The legit criticism is that it takes his developmental plan away from the team.. he has to be up or moved regardless or where he should be pitching, which is the definition of short sighted.

The options seem to be some leverage for the Yankees should Brackman sprout early, which obviously didn’t happen.

I did some more research to see if there was any time in there that Brackman might have accrued service time and I think the Yankees might have put him on the 60 day DL in 2008. If they did, that would count for a year of service time and not use one of is options. I can’t find a reference for it, except Wikipedia which I try to stay away from.

I’m going to keep digging to see if I can come up with everything they’ve done with Brackman. But my point remains that Brackman certainly does not have the option to ‘walk’ after 2010, 2011, etc. The contract putting him on the 40 man roster is just to get him on track to be called up because you’re burning his options. It’s not like signing, say, Jorge Posada to a 4 year deal.

In the absence of clear information, it appears the consensus is not that he becoems a free agent but rather that he has to pass through waivers within a couple of years in order to be sent to the minors. That gives the team a strong incentive to promote him sooner rather than later.

the consensus is not that he becoems a free agent but rather that he has to pass through waivers within a couple of years in order to be sent to the minors. That gives the team a strong incentive to promote him sooner rather than later.

As long as he continues on his current development path and produces results as he’s been doing then promotion won’t be a problem. And if he struggles and stalls out at AA as he was stalling at low-A last year, then passing him through waivers won’t be a problem either. A team like the Twins or Royals couldn’t afford to burn options and a 25-man roster spot on Brackman if he’s not likely to produce results.

I think too much is being made of his major league contract. He’ll either be on the Yanks or in the minors.